The owner of this board was looking for some information on it and I was thinking “Ho hum, another old board”. So I was perusing the photos and giving him the usual info on date (1966) and then…I saw the inscription on the stringer…
" ‘Lay some glass on me Jimbo’ Thank You signed The Machine Scene"
And then I remembered the board. Or at least I remembered the inscription. We had the board at Keller’s Surf Shop in Lavallette. Although it was just one of hundreds of boards we sold out of there through those years the inscription made it stand out in my mind even to this day.
It wasn’t totally unusual for the factory crew to write messages on the stringers. Most of the times it was names, messages or “in” jokes on personal boards. On one of my red fins Selby wrote stuff up and down all three stringers before it was glassed.
But this was different. Someone in the factory was making a statement about the shaping machine.
And of all things, the board ended up at the Salvation Army in Orlando, Fl some 45 years later where the current owner found it.
Do any of the old G&S crew remember this? Does anyone know who wrote it? I’m sure the statute of limitations is up. lol.
Howzit BalsaBill, The Selby person you are referring to,was he the manager of the G&S shop in S.D. If it was then he has gone on to be inducted into the cuinary hall of fame and I workes with him on Kauai for about 5 years and what a character he is . On the other hane the " Machine Scene" was the name that Steve Bigler had on the big truck he had and was full of stufff lke wax ad other things and would pull up yo a surf spot and sell products from. Aloha Kokua
Yes, Kokua that’s the same Selby. I visited him in Kaui when he worked at the Dolfin. Hugh MacIntosh (RIP) owned the place.Tennesee Ernie Ford ate there and said it was the best steak he ever had and he raised beef. Hugh was very proud of that endorsement.
I sent Selby pics of this board and he got a kick out of it.
I remember Bigler’s “Machine Scene” traveling surf shop too. But that was a little after this. Maybe even a few years (early Seventies).
Howzit Bill, I started working for the Dolphin in Jan 74 after buildng a few houses and one was the 3 story redwood house at waikoko's on the beach. Actuall there were 3 owners of the Dolphin and they were Huey ( The bartender) , Selby ( the working manager and chef) , Dennis Garret ( The Kid) who did the daily town runs and another Dennis who's last name eludes me at the moment but he did the books. Yes it is a shame we lost Huey since hewas one heckof a uy and a good musician also and it really hurt the Kid Jon Riddle when Huey passed away. Dennis Garret is back on Kauai working as a general contractor. Selby was thehead chef at Harrah's in Reno and ran the whole show there but I think he has moved on to a different job ( it's his birthday tomorrow ) and he is on FaceBook. The other Dennis disappeared and good riddence since he ripped of the other partners while frying the books. I stay in touch with Selby since we were good friends and when they sold the Dolphin I had tried to put together a hui of emploees to buy the restaurant since they sold it for only $ 50,000 and now it is worth about 1 millon. But I remember Selby telling me he hoped I woud work for him again someime in the future and I tod hm No way but I would work with him next time.We would go into the walk in refer andyell at each other and he would never fire me since heknew I knew he business and we both learned from each other. The last time I saw him was in the 80's and he had opened the "Following Sea " restaurant for Joey Cabell on pier 39 in San Francisco and we did the full wine country tour and had a ball together. He could drink more alcohol and not ge buzzed than any personI knew and hanging with those OB guys taught me how to drink and not get drunk also. After they sold the Dolphin it has neverbeen the same again and even when Barr Surles ran it it just wasn't the same. I still have one of the original wooden menus from the early days. Back then you didn't get fired for puffing one out back but you couldget fired if you didn't tell Selby you were burning one because he wanted to get his lips on that J himself. Those were great days in Hanalei and we were a tight net crew that watched each others backs. Bye the way I am sure you know Shak, Tom Lockwood and maybe Ron Voltz and they have all moved t the big Island and Selby is going to retire there in a couple of years so the hwole OB gang will spend their golden years together and I have to say that Selby looks great for 62 years old. Aloha,Kokua
I wish I could find a board like that at a secondhand store; sadly, living in CA it will be impossible to get a real 60s longboard in any decent shape without paying more than you would for a custom brand-new longboard
‘‘Shak, Tom Lockwood and maybe Ron Voltz and they have all moved t the big
Island and Selby is going to retire there in a couple of years so the
hwole OB gang will spend their golden years together.’’
No wonder when I go to the beach, OB, I never see anyone I grew up with.
s
